You’ve probably heard people expressing alarm about the spread of ―fake news‖ – stories that look like news articles but describe things that never happened. Fake news is written to attract attention, to trick people so they will look foolish, or to work as satire ( 讽 刺 ) making a point about society. But regardless of the source’s motivation, spreading fake news embarrasses you and harms others, so follow these steps to ensure you only share real news.

Check its grammar

Legal news sites check their grammar carefully, so articles with many errors are usually fake. Also watch out for sentences written in all capital（大写的） letters and the use of multiple exclamation points（感叹号） at the ends of sentences. These are designed to bring about an emotional reaction, but they aren’t considered professional, so trustworthy publications don’t use them.

Read the whole article

Even in real news articles, headlines sometimes overstate or simplify the point of the article. Before reacting, read the article carefully to make sure you understand the whole context. Sometimes the claims of fake news articles become unreasonable as the article goes on.

Consider the source

If you’ve never heard of the publication, check the ―About‖ section on its website. Fake news sites often lack such a page, provide little information or even admit that they are fake. Also check an online article’s URL; if it ends with ―.com.co‖, it’s probably a fake news site.

Check the support

Does the article support its claims with quotations and citation（引用）from experts? If not, don’t trust it. If so, you should still look up those sources and make sure they actually say what the article claims. There are also websites, such as snopes.com, that will tell you whether the facts in online articles are accurate.

Today, we are told, children don't spend enough time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV — they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.

But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens, climbing trees and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.

Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids' development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go”.

So despite the complicated world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature's playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children's daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted”.

This might sound a bit old fashioned to you, or maybe, like me, it made you think about sticking on your boots, getting outdoors and reliving your childhood. There's no age limit on enjoying yourself!

FIRE-FIGHTING

How to fight a fire

Anyone who uses fire-extinguishers should know a few basic facts about how to make them work. This leaflet will tell you the most important things to remember if you have to put a fire out.

Water extinguishers

You can put most fires out with water extinguishers. However, you should not use water extinguishers if the fire involves electrical equipment or if it has been started by flammable (易燃的) liquids such as petrol.

As in all fires, make sure that the wind is behind you — if you do this, the smoke will blow away from you. Point the jet of water at the bottom of the fire and move it slowly higher.

Remember that you should only use extinguishers for small fires. If there is any danger of the fire spreading to anything that can explode, you should not try to put the fire out yourself. Instead, leave the building immediately, and call the fire brigade.

Foam (泡沫) extinguishers

You can use a foam extinguisher for fire caused by burning liquids such as petrol. Never point the jet directly into the liquid itself, as this may make it splash and spread the fire. Instead, try and point the extinguisher up into the air so that the foam goes up and falls on top of the burning liquid.

Whatever the kind of fire, do not stand up straight — if you can stay down, this will help you to avoid the smoke, and you may be able to get closer to the fire. Get out of the building at once if you think your escape route might be cut off by smoke or fire.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) extinguishers

Some fire extinguishers are filled with a gas called carbon dioxide. You can use these to put out fires which have been caused either by electrical equipment or flammable liquids. If the fire has been caused by electrical equipment, switch the equipment off and point the extinguisher straight at the fire. If the fire has been caused by a liquid like petrol, point the extinguisher at the nearest edge of the fire, and move it from side to side.

Remember, never stay in a building if it is dangerous to do so, or if the fire grows beyond your control. Make sure you are standing near an exit in case this happens.